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I Am Happier to Know You GLOSSARY OF ARABIC WORDS/SAYINGS AND THEIR ENGLISH TRANSLATION Used in daily life in Egypt today. |
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Abbaya:
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A full-length black robe worn by women over their clothing |
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Al Ahram:
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The Pyramid |
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Al Hamdulilah:
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Praise God |
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Ala tuul:
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Straight ahead/right away |
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Alam:
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A pen or a pain in the body |
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Alf shoker:
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A thousand thanks |
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Allah:
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The first of ninety-nine names of God |
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Ana:
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I |
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Ana Amrikaniyaa wi Masriyya bell elb:
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I am an American and an Egyptian in my heart (f) |
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Ana Asaad:
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I am happier to know you |
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Ana Asfa:
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I'm sorry |
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Ana min hena:
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I am from here |
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Ana Mus Ray-a:
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I am Egyptian (f) |
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Awi:
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Very |
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Ayiza:
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Want (f) |
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Aywa:
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Yes |
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Baad Bokra:
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After tomorrow |
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Baba:
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Dad |
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Baksheesh:
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A tip/bribe |
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Baladi:
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Native/local |
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Bara:
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Outside/outdoors/outside the country |
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Bawaab:
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Building guard/virtue protector |
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Bent:
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Girl |
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Bikam:
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How much? |
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Corsi:
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Chair |
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Coptic:
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Egyptian Christian |
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Eid:
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Feast around a religious holiday |
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El Maadi:
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The area of Cairo where I live. The word means riverboat crossing |
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Enti:
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You (f) |
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Enti kwayyisa:
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You good (to a female) |
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Enta:
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You (m) |
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Felucca:
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A native sailboat |
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Faloose:
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Money |
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Galabaya:
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A full-length native robe worn by both men and women. Still favored by many Egyptians as part of traditional garb that is part of life in Egypt today |
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Gamb:
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Beside/next to |
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Gamoosa:
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Water buffalo |
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Gazma:
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Shoe |
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Gharam:
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Love you're willing to pay the price for |
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Ghee:
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Clarified butter/shortening used to fry and bake native dishes |
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Habibi:
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My sweetheart (m) |
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Haram:
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Forbidden under Islam |
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Harami:
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A thief |
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Hawa:
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Shares love with air and falling |
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Hayman:
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Love that wanders the earth |
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Hena:
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Here |
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Hena kwayyis:
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Here is good |
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Hijab:
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Any scarf a woman wears to cover her hair |
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Iftar:
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The sundown fast breaking meal during Ramadan |
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Imshii Imshii:
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Go away |
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Inshallah:
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God willing |
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Ishq:
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Love that entwines two people together |
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Kalb:
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Dog |
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Kefya:
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Enough |
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Khamasiin:
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Strong spring winds that cause dust storms. A part of normal life in Egypt today consistent with living in a desert environment |
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Khroof:
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Sheep/lamb |
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Kilo:
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2.2 pounds |
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Kusheri:
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A delicious native dish made from rice, macaroni and lentils topped with fried onions and tomato sauce |
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Kwayyis:
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Good/okay (m) |
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La-a:
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No |
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Madame kwayyisa awi:
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Madame is very very nice |
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Mafish:
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There are not/there are no/there is no |
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Mashkilla:
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Problem |
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Massa el kheir:
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Good evening |
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Men:
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From |
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Min fadlak/fadlak:
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Please. |
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Mish:
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When used before a word, it negates the meaning |
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Mish Kiteer:
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Not a lot |
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Molukhaya:
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An Egyptian vegetable similar to kale. It is finely chopped, cooked with garlic, then served as a soup, often with rice |
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Mus:
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Egypt |
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Muslim:
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A member of Islam (it is pronounced mus-lamb) |
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Om:
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Mother |
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Pasha:
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Honorary title to show a man's importance |
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Piastres:
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Small change |
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Raebe:
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A stranger, or also used as What happened? |
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Raeba:
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Someone who is strange |
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Sabbah el kheir:
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Good morning |
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Sababah:
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Love exudes from your pores |
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Salaam:
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Hello |
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Shaghaf:
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Love that nests in the heart |
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Shara:
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Road/street |
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Sharmoota:
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The original definition is a dirty rag, but it is frequently used to describe a loose woman |
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Shartra:
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Clever/smart |
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Shay:
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Tea |
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Sheikh:
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Muslim religious authority |
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Sheisha:
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A native water pipe used to smoke tobacco |
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Shimell:
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Left |
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Shokran:
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Thank you |
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Souk:
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Street market |
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Sufi:
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The mystical arm of Islam |
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Tamaya:
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Bean cake |
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Tech:
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Losing yourself in love |
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Tessa:
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Nine |
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Wadi:
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Dry riverbed |
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Walah:
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Love with sorrow |
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Waldeen:
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Boys |
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Walad Imshi Imshi
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Boy Go away |
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Ya Kelb:
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You dog |
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Yemeen:
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Right |
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Zakat:
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Giving a portion of your income to the poor (one of the five pillars of Islam) |
-Publicly declare that: There is no God other than Allah, and Mohammed is his messenger.
-Pray 5 times each day
-Fast from sunrise to sunset during the month of
Ramadan
-Pay 2.5% of their income as a tithe for the poor
-At least once in their lifetime (if money and health
permit) go on a pilgrimage to Mecca at a specific
time of the year
©2007 Jeanne M. Eck
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